Personal Narrative: A Dog's Life

How would you feel when you wake up one day and find that your first dog has died? I felt as if my world was going to fall apart. Years after his death I’ve had other dogs, but none of them had made me happy has my first dog has. Many people say that it’s just an animal, you can get another one to replace it. No dog in the world can be a replacement for my first dog. Everything in the world can not be replaced. It’s like saying you can replace one of your family members when they die. I mean you can replace them with another person, but the memories you had with the person can not be replaced. Sometimes we think that we can love them back to life, but in reality, everything comes to an end.

An animal can be the best thing to happen to a person. As the old saying goes: a dog is a man's’ best friend. People share their homes with their furry friends and gain relationships that are remembered until, perhaps, the rest of their days- just like an old friend. In Bilger’s article, he mentions the relationship between Lady, the sick cat, and her owners, Karen and Shawn Levering, and why the couple was so willing to give up so much for her. “If they were willing to go this far for a cat, it was partly out of a sense of misfortune. But mostly it was a matter of love” (Bilger, part 1, paragraph

When my families first Portuguese Water Dog, superb Sonoma, passed away, it was one of the most downcast days in my life. Sonoma was hard to replace, she was joyful, trustworthy, obedient, and just about the most wonderful dog you could ever meet. Sonoma lived a peaceful but much too short, ten year old life. Right up until the end of her life she was one of the most healthiest dogs around, so when a tumor burst in her pancreas it took our family by utter surprise. By the time we got to the Animal hospital, which had the unmistakable scent of sterile hallways and stale air, it was unfortunately too late to save our precious Sonoma. Which left our whole family with what felt like massive stone rocks in the pits our stomachs. While our family was melancholy about Sonoma's death it was also bittersweet. It was bitter of course, because you never realize what you have until it's gone. The sweet part of Sonoma's passing was that this end of something, was also the beginning to a new puppy, a new puppies life, and a new friend.

Most importantly, this book is a great tool for parents and family members to have on hand after the death of a pet to help explain what has happened, especially in the case of euthanasia. This book would not be a good story-time book for children who have healthy pets or who have not experienced the death of a pet, as it could scare them about the future of their pets. Overall, this book would be effective bibliotherapy for parents and family members, as well as a good option for librarians to recommend to families who have recently experienced the loss of their

We all lose someone we love at one point. I lost my elderly, sluggish, heavy yellow lab. But even though there were a lot of negative aspects about him, I still loved him. And I found it hard to get over his death and move on. My dog was a part of my family, my brother, my companion.

K.C’s death changed my viewing of the real world around me. K.C. is a Basset Hound who lives with the greatest human being of all time, Debbie. I occasionally walk across the street to pay Debbie and K.C. a visit. I also sometimes dog sat while Debbie ran errands. Debbie trusted me to take care of K.C. while she was away or for me to check on the other pet sitters. I knew every one of K.C’s medical needs, where her beds were, and even when something was bothering her.

“Trauma doesn’t have to defeat you. It can be a perfect opportunity for growth. Don't just make a comeback. Use it as a catalyst forward” (Matt McWilliams). In life difficulties often lead to bad choices and psychological problems. However, this is not always the case. While suffering can often be responsible for negative reactions, it can also bring forth innovative ideas and grant the gift that is compassion. By looking at Love that Dog by Sharon Creech one can see that loss and hardship can lead to personal advancement and give one’s life new meaning.

My first day in Pets Forever I was immensely eager. I sat down and paid attention to the expectations and recent programs they had to offer. The first program that caught my interest was the veterinarian team. I was so thrilled that they had the opportunity to get involved with veterinarian clinics that I signed up as soon as I could. Unfortunately, I didn’t get in. I was downhearted because I was so thrilled to think that I could be the person getting the appropriate care for other people’s animals. However, after talking to Sarah and letting her know that I previously worked in an emergency animal clinic, she let me join the team. I didn’t realize how different of an experience being on this team was going to be. I never really spent my time in the waiting room or talking to the clients about what was going on. I had a very skewed perception thinking it was going to be like what I previously did but without the hand on experience. I thought that I would be seeing more procedures as well as new veterinary techniques. Instead, I got more human contact than animal contact. I had a misconception of what I would be doing when I signed up for the team. Even though Pet Forever wasn’t what I thought it was going to be, I still deeply enjoyed every moment and learned many life skills.

The helplessness of not knowing that there is something wrong. The feeling of guilt because you didn’t realize any change in behavior to represent that something was wrong. “In fact, in order to prove itself as good dog as defined by its human caretakers, the dog must do no less than conclusively demonstrate its loyalty” (Karla Armbuster, 2002). This is displayed by how even though she is dying; she still drags herself to the newspaper so she won’t get in trouble by her owner by going to the bathroom on the floor.

My cousins Mark and Haylee had a an English springer spaniel, his name was Max. They got him from the FFA petting zoo at the fair. He and Josie were best friends! Mark and Haylees house was across from our house, so Josie would stand up and put her front

I remember going to school and telling people how I got a dog and how much I loved her already. After telling people how much I loved my dog I would go home each night after a long day at school and cry for hours because my dog wouldn’t want to be near me. She would constantly cry and I would just yell at her, asking why she couldn’t just love me. I knew she had no answer but I tried all I could do to make her love and care for me the same way that I loved and cared for her. “A person who cares about something is, as it were, invested in it” (83). In Frankfurt’s words I was invested in gaining my new dogs love.

Among the saddest truths about this lifetime is this: A dog’s life is significantly shorter than a human’s life. I said goodbye to my beloved Miniature Schnauzer, Samson, on March 26th, 2017. He was ten years old. It is an opinion to say that losing a pet is like losing a member of the family. The fact is, though, it is an understatement. Dogs are unique in their own ways. As it is said, “Grief is the price you pay for love.” And I paid a heavy priced that day.

I looked at my dog and made eye contact with his large brown eyes. Time seemed to slow down as I read his eyes like an open book. I still remember the look today, while I was laying on the couch next to him. It was the most terrifying sight I’ve ever seen. My dog, my best friend, and the only thing to trust me with everything calmly could show that he had accepted death. For me though he was still could wagging his tail for us. The night I saw this was October 22nd at 8:02 PM. This dog changed my entire perspective on life. He was a dog that could instantly make a room bloom as a flower would, but with joy. He loved life and those around him and that caused us to love him so much.

Many of us have had that one pet, or one family member that we are close to, whether we bonded well with them or we feel like we can tell them anything and they will never tell anyone. This experience for me has been my dog, Lucas, a chocolate and tan dachshund, his story isn’t well known or known by many, but to me he is my fighter and my best friend.

I remember when I was 11 years old and my dog, Happy, was sick with cancer. Since the moment we rescued Happy he was the sweetest, most energetic pet I had ever seen. He remained this way over the many years that we had him, hence, his name. I remember the day we decided it was time to let go. We took Happy to the veterinarian clinic and were taken into a little room. All four of us, my brother, my parents, and I, huddled around Happy as he was lying on the counter. The veterinarian gave us some time to spend with him alone and say our goodbyes. When she returned she asked if we were ready and gave him an injection that would take him away from this world forever. Happy was euthanized due to his illness. As terribly